Advantages

"Pleasant staff"

"Wide Choice of items"

Disadvantages

None

Great Clothing For The Older Age Groups!

I have a local branch of BHS near me at Newcastle Upon Tyne which I recently visited again after an absence of quite some time. I had always felt that the majority of clothing in BHS was aimed at a much older age group but I still found a few classic pieces and casuals to make me return again. However, I had started to feel that the clothing designs were really unflattering, even for those who were very elderly, and I stopped shopping there. My local store actually had a bit of a makeover and when I returned I was surprised to see that their women's clothing range had also been overhauled and was now much more accessible and attractive to younger age groups, although the overall collection is clearly still aimed at older age groups.

The shopping experience is always pleasant in BHS as there seems to be a lot of space in the store to move freely and explore the clothes. They display items in a neat and organised way which makes it very easy to find the design and size you are looking for.

The experience with staff at the store has always been very good. I would say that the firm tend to hire staff who are slightly more mature and therefore you feel like you are hearing the voices of experience. They also tend to have a very friendly manner. The stores provide a dressing room option and staff are on hand to assist you during this process.

As I mentioned I feel the clothing line has become much more diverse and in tune with modern fashions whatever your age now. I love their basic and print t-shirts and sweatshirts. They also do a range of trousers and special ranges such as beachwear items and nightwear. My only issues with the store is that I have been in a few times and a certain line is sold out of my size. They also tend to make a lot of their items rather short in the body as if catering for the body shape of an older lady. This can be a bit of a problem if you have a large chest like myself.

I find the prices to be very reasonable and in fact I tend to head here if I'm looking for cheap plain or basic items like t-shirts or casual tops as I know I can buy them at good quality but pay less than at other stores. They also do frequent offers on lines like their basics where if you buy two or three items you get a slight reduction in the overall cost.

I would definitely recommend BHS for their ladies range. I would say age 25 and over would probably be most interested in their whole range though.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great for online shopping

Despite there being a BHS store in my local high street that I once did my school worm experience in I had pretty much forgotten that this shop existed. This was until I was getting married.

Whilst planning my wedding it was suggested to me that BHS do a wedding range. I had my doubts on whether their stuff would be really outdated but I thought there is no harm in looking. As a result I went into my local store. I had a wonder around and was really surprised at how nice some of their homeware panda underwear is, and asll sat really good prices. Unfortunately my local BHS do not stock their wedding range and so I looked online.

I was pleasantly surprised by BHS wedding range online. I had already bought my wedding dress but I got loads of my accessories from BHS. I got my wedding shoes, my back up flat wedding shoes in case my feet started to ache and a little ivory clutch bag. The online ordering service was greats and their discount codes for getting free delivery was really well advertised so I don't even need to pay to get anything delivered. Everything was delivered within a couple of days and I was really pleased with my purchases.

The major downside to BHS is they don't seem to cater for adults under 50. They seem to do as great kids range, and homeware ranges but nothing for anyone else which is a great shame as I think they are missing out in that area.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

My first online shop with BHS will be my last.

I ordered two matching dinner sets and received them on the 7th December. It is now 18th December. Unfortunately each set had a broken plate in. I tried to call customer services but there is no way to speak to anyone. Sent an e-mail (the first of many) and they take 2 days minimum to respond to each e-mail. Basically I am getting nowhere with them as they keep fobbing me off with text book replies and ignore my request for a replacement set which I am happy to pay for. They did ask me to send images of the broken plates and I would be issued with a partial refund which I did-twice! No refund as yet, no response to my last e-mail of 4 days ago and I am still 1 place setting short for Christmas Day. Basically they don't give a damn and I won't be shopping with them again, online or otherwise!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

My friend and I had a meal each in your restaurant of the Canterbury store. Mine was a jacket potato with beans, The potato was cold the beans luke warm. The side salad was ok! My friend had the offer of fish and chips for £2.99 when bought with a dessert at full price. We asked if the quality of fish was the same as when purchased at full price and we werre assured that it was. It was brought to the table and looked most appetising, but ........ there were two tiny strips of fish and the rest was batter. This was extremely disappointing. We did not purchase this food until 14.13 but surely if you are charging full prices we should expect the food to be of the quality as it was at the beginning of lunchtime.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

What's going on in Surrey Quays BHS? So poor service, sometimes there's no sale assistant at the till. Today, on 31/10/2013 at 13.35 3 sale assistant's were there,a young female served one customer, after looked at me and left, I was the only person left in the queue, two other employees just ignored me. When I asked them to be served, I was told by one of the worker's (an elderly woman) "hold on a minute". She with another worker started to look into a folder(book). I left the shop feeling very disappointed, and without any purchases(items).

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Hello there. ,Today we went for lunch for the first time into the Carmarthen store restaurant. We paid £ 20 for a chiken tikka and Rice, a chicken pie and veg and a Shepherds pie with veg, plus 2 teas and 1 diet coke.Im sorry to tell you it was awful and we didnt finish the meals. Dry hard potatoes also cold pie and veg, very much as though no none cared what we were eating! The Rice was dry and actually there wasnt much of it. The Tea was stewed and undrinkable.We have never complained before and shopped in BHS for years but we had never eaten lunch at this store and never will again

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Vile

After watching my daughter run in the race for life on Sunday 15 July 2012, my daughter in law and I decided to pop into the Worthing BHS Restraurant for lunch as we thought it would be suitable for us and my 18 month old grandson to have lunch.

This Sunday was one of the busiest Sundays of the whole year in Worthing because the race for life was on. We arrived at about 12.10 and thought at first how lucky we were as there was only half a dozen people in the restaurant.

Waiting to be served was a joke, the lady in front of me wanted a jacket potato with coleslaw, " sorry no coleslaw". She then asked if she could have baked beans with her potato. She was told they didn't know where the beans were. They managed to find the beans, which had that dried up look about them, as though they had been reheated from the day before look. (This lady and I were the only customers at the counter at this time.)

I then decided to try the cottage pie. I declined the peas as they looked older than the baked beans. Some looked older than others, quite yellow. I had the roast potatoes and the carrots. (These were cold.)I can't comment on the roast poatoes as the baby decided to eat them!

My daughter in law had the jacket potato, the dried up baked beans and the tiredest salad I have ever seen.

The baby had a children's meal of sausages and chips. I can't comment on the chips but the sausages tasted like they were made from sawdust!

The diet pepsi I had was ok though!

The two ladies on the next table were complaining about the standard of food on the next table and the waitress said they had already had two complaints that morning.

After consuming what I could of what I consider one of the most unappetising meals I have ever eaten we decided to visit the ladies. The first cubicle door was off it's hinges. The soap dispenser was empty.One hand drier wasn't working and the other one was only barely fixed to the wall.

We left the BHS retraurant at about 1.10 and during this time there was only about a dozen customers at what should have been the busiest time of the day. I think the restaurant would hold between 50 - 100 customers at a time.We wont be going back there any time soon!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

My daughter, on behalf of my grandchildren has for a number of years bought me blue slippers from BHS at Christmas. This year they had changed in that they now include memory foam innersoles. They are dreadful just wore two weeks and then had to buy two pairs of innersoles as I felt I was walking on the ground. Just now noticed that they are completed worn through and my big toes are hanging out. Now April, usually they last until the next Christmas but not alas this year.Could the original slippers, which were perfect, now be sold again at Christmas.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Soon BHS will be gone for ever?

This department store is on the way out. The restaurant is gone. Today BHS where I live in Surrey Quays is a shell of what a department store once was all the goods seem to be own brand lots at full price with odd racks at discounts of up to 75%.

I need a belt so popped in to BHS and got two for the price of one at £15 good value as they were leather and my size. I also fancied a jumper now winter has finally arrived. £35 seemed a bit steep but there was one going for £9 for what reason I did not know but that is cheap so I took that as well also trousers at £9 reduced from £35 is cheap although they did not have my size I got the next size up with an elasticated waist. Job done I went to the till to pay but it seems the till would not take these £9 products they as were technically not in stock. The shop assistant had to use the tag from another product costing £9 so she could charge me for them. It makes you wonder what happens when they do a stock check does there stock match up at all?

I noticed that BHS seem to have a lot of expensive kitchen stuff does anyone buy it? £20 salad bowls and £5 plates all of it available in Tesco cheaper and that seems to be the problem Tesco now sells cheap versions of everything BHS do and so what used to be sold only in department stores is now sold in every supermarket. Maybe in the future BHS will become a supermarket either that or go the way of C&A and Wollies as in one day they are in every shopping centre the next day they are gone for ever.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Not cheap for the cheap look

BHS stuff is for anyone over 50 and virgins, simple as, often two of the same, the mix of navy, grey and browns for the men and pastel pinks, greens and blues for the oldies somewhat depressing, racks and racks of unfashionable clobber being picked at by grannies and Christians the moment the doors open at 9am. It's only survived because chains like Littlewoods and COOP haven't on the high street and with Primark on the march its days maybe numbered. It's the HMV of clothing stores guys! Owner Phillip Green has been trying to flog the 187 store chain for a while now and recently announced the forced sales of 256 shops in his empire from all his brand names to make ends meet, any store that hasn't negotiated a new favourable rent lease likely to go. I suspect most of that 256 will be BHS, 17,245 jobs under threat. We can't have Sir Phillip Green digging into his stashed away billions in Monaco to bail them out now can we?

BHS are incredibly expensive for what they sell. A simple fleece can cost £20 and a double fleece £45, yet Primark have them at £4 and the cut price Asian stores cheaper still. Ok they are not wool but what's the difference? They keep you warm, right? Who is going to spend that in a store which doesn't have any real loyal customer base and certainly doesn't fit into any social class price ranging, BHS very much the lower class Marks & Spencer's. One pair of boxer shorts are currently priced at £4.99 in my Northampton branch! Jeans are £29 minimum and casual shirts are £20. I mean come on guys!

They sell kids and women's stuff, off course, but their male range very much dad size trousers and dressed by your mum shirts and socks, plaid, flares and gingham the order of the day. I did once buy a nice little leather jacket in the sales there for £50 about four years ago and some sunglasses last year but nothing since. This shop is not about style, very much dressing not to impress, for the people who don't want to be seen and so stay under the radar, for the Amish man around town! In fact Jason Bourne would never be caught if he shopped here. Practical is the order of the day. It's too costly for around the house ware and so you can't really see where this chain can go in the current climate. Changing the logo to that trendy autograph isn't going to do it.

The Northampton branch has two big floors and a restaurant and it's that restaurant you can tell the difference between BHS and Marks & Spencer's customers. The M&S restaurant is always packed - be they in store shoppers or not, where as the BHS one is rarely full. I'm not comfortable with that snobbery and always wonder why the middle-class are so loyal to M&S when the clothes come from the same third world factories around the third world as BHS's. I wonder if the people in those factories care about that snobbery? They still get the same money for making a pair of BHS coats as the M&S ones. In defense of the BHS restaurant they do a nice two of everything breakfast for just 1.99 so good value there.

BHS tend not to have food halls and gimmicks to get shoppers in and try to keep it simple, relying on older customers who are intimidated by fashion stories for the young and don't want to shop in cheap stores for clothes. In away they are a rather sweet and old fashioned department store with home and ware and haberdashery sections also in the Northampton branch. They do have toys and cosmetics ranges for Christmas piled up near the entrance but generally it is just clothes and shoes etc. The bigger city stores do wedding dresses and suit hire I believe.

The staff is friendly, a mix of young's girls who don't know what they want to do with their life until they get pregnant and the older women who did get pregnant and found out that working at BHS is what they would be doing with their life all along. The men's section is staffed by women yet the women's section is not staffed by men. The changing rooms are plentiful although somewhat exposed to someone whipping open the curtain and so caught with your kegs down. It nearly did happen to a girlfriend of mine who was obsessed with those BHS gingham shirts.lol. After sales service seems good though.

I was in there to buy my sister her Christmas present, one of those dressing gown blanket things where you can tuck all your limbs into it to keep out what is an incredibly mild winter to come. They were priced at £19.99 and so I left as they are just £6.99 on Amazon, why BHS are going bust with Greece next week.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

After ordering products which were marked "In Stock", one item was removed from the order AFTER payment was taken. I got no explanation until I queried this.Next day delivery failed, the courier delivered after two days, left the delivery on the doorstep and ran off (I saw him), he logged it as "Left in a secure place".Repeated attempts to get refund for out of stock item have failed, sarcastic responses from customer service. They say I have to take it up with my card issuer.I will never use BHS again, and suggest you shop elsewhere.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

EXCELLENT

I went to the BHS in BASINGSTOKE when visiting family at the start of the year and i was blown away.I only wish i'd managed to wrtie this sooner !!!!!!!!!!!

They have obviously spent some money on the whole store but the restaurant was fantastic. What really did it for me was the staff, they were obviously REALLY busy but they were all so helpfull and so friendly.The food was Fantastic, really tasty and nice and hot. I must admit this is a change as in most retail restaurants you dont get the same type of food as a "proper" restaurant but there i did.I must make a special mention to 2 ladies that really looked after me, the cashier - Sue and the manager (iassume, not in uniform) Leanne who both made us feel extra welcome.All in all a fantastic Lunch, one i plan to go back for every time i'm down visitng, well done BHS !!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

I really want the design of the placemats and coasters but BHS dissapoints me.

I purchased set of placemats and coasters from the BHS website. I tried to search the same design in nearby store but could not find any, that is why I decided to purchase it online. Received it, but surprisingly, they gave me a totally DIFFERENT design from what I have ordered. Feeling very frustrated, I went to the nearby store (30mins away from my house), and asked for a refund. The lady said I cannot get the full refund because I did not bring the hard copy of the invoice order. She could not bother at all the check it online for me.I'm sure they have the record of the order or at least they can call their main branch. I have all the order information, I brought the parcel with me! For what the purpose I want to return and get only half of the refund when I have to drive for 30mins to get there. And it is their BIG fault for sending me a definitely wrong item. I tried to call their customer service but after 15minutes waiting, there was no one answer it. A bad experience! I do not want to shop at BHS anymore. I really feel dissapointed with their service - online, in store and by phone!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Advise OR refund would be helpful. The bag cost me £22 after all.

Hi, I have always loved shopping at BHS (Harlow, mostly). I have always found their clothes to be as expected or declared on the label. I have got so use to the shop that I trust their judgement. Recently I bought a handbag. It looked nice and I was in my favourite shop after all so I bought it without a lot of consideration I must admit. Bad mistake. I have hated the bag ever since and today it proved me right. The zip got stuck and I could not access my money. My hairdresser had to get the money out of the bag for me. The zip will probably break again and should I trust it. The bag is only 10 weeks old and my hubby bought it for me for my Birthday. I have never had trouble with bags or zips before.Any solution to my problem will be appreciated.Thankyou